20 March 2012

The Swedish International Development Agency, Sida, has introduced a Whistleblower form on its website. This government organization under the Swedish Foreign Ministry is the first public authority in Sweden to do so, and we hope the new idea will help the agency stop corruption.

Vital fight against corruption
Corruption is widespread in many of the countries Sida cooperates with, and the fight against it is one of Sida’s most prioritized areas. Corruption affects the poor the hardest, and it is a serious threat to development. Corruption also weakens the trust in society and thereby undermines democracy.

Expanded term
The English term "whistleblower" refers to a person within an organization who puts her or his employment at risk by publicly disclosing irregularities. Sida has expanded the term to mean all who have knowledge about corruption.

Anonymity acceptedThe new whistleblower may be used by anyone, both within and outside Sida, to ensure that Swedish development assistance funds are used as intended. It is possible to remain anonymous when reporting to Sida, which is another difference compared to the meaning of the original term. This may of course be abused, but I trust that Sida will conduct a thorough investigation of each report.